Each Other, Thats All They Need
by Sevi Snape
Summary: Severus and Hermione more than words can express, but he let her go to save her. He broods about what would have happened if he had stayed with her, a million what ifs. Then an Angel Of Redemption appears, only shes not an angel.


Disclaimer: the characters are JKR's and the song is by David Sneddon from the British show Fame Academy. 

If you don't know the song please read the lyrics anyway because they were the plot bunny for the story.

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**Each Other, That's All They Need.**

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**_He sits alone at a table in a small cafe_**

**_Drowning his tears in a bottomless cup of coffee_**

Again, he sits in the darkest corner of the café. He is usually seen in here on a Saturday and Sunday. Only thing he ever drinks is coffee. Black coffee, black like his clothes and expression. He is pretty much left alone except for when the waitress asks does he want anything else. I see him as I sit and drink my own beverage. I have seen him change over the years. The years since she left him. I have seen him change from a strangely attractive man to a broken man. His hair always slightly greasy anyway is now unkempt and twice as bad. He runs his hands through it all the time, thinking. And I know what a tumult of thoughts are in there. Each one that's in his head falls in the form of a tear into the depths of his night black clothes. 

**_And he's tumbling into his thoughts_**

Severus Snape, a broken man. He sits there reliving his memories in his head. All the things that ever happened to him. Death Eater initiation, watching his lover killed, watching his children slaughtered, thinking of how he let a women he loved go. The latter was the most recent regret, not his biggest, although the rest would probably be left to the past if he had her with him now.

His head swims with 'what if?' questions. What if he hadn't pushed her away? What if he had never become a spy? What Lily hadn't chosen James? Would Harry, Cassandra and Lexy still be alive? 

In his head he had these thoughts chased by fantasies. He had never thought on them this much before. But now he was past his youth and well in to his middle ages, shouldn't he now have found his calling and someone to settle with?

Maybe she was his special someone? I have seen them happy together even if they were only together for a fleeting moment in time. But what would happen if he had stayed with her? Would he still be happy? Or did he need that time to realize how much he loved her, and needed her?

**_His memories are all tied in knots_**

He thinks about the one woman alive that he wants. The woman he pushed away seemingly for her own safety. But then hadn't Lily done that? Gone away from him for her own safety? And look what had happened to her. Maybe he did it to give himself a clear conscience incase something did happen to her. That way he couldn't blame himself. 

I know his memories. And the one he clings to so dearly. Their first night together. Nothing as romantic as that. No they didn't have sex or even kiss, not until about 10am the next morning. They talked, the whole night. One night were they could talk to each other and be honest. And when they finally kissed the next morning they were so sure of their feelings for each other it made them tremble.  

**_Who is going to save him, cos no-one wants to know him_**

She had wanted him once. Once when the allure of him being out of her reach. When he was her teacher, that's when she wanted him, when she shouldn't have had him. After all that's what every girl wants isn't it? To make an older man fall at her feet. To feel so desired by someone who could lose everything if your amore was discovered. And even if it was would people have believed it? 

Why it was him I don't know. I mean he wasn't the nicest of people. A recluse, he wasn't the handsomest of men either. Maybe that was one of the reasons he was a recluse, ashamed of his appearance. Maybe it was because he wasn't average, but then she wasn't average either. And no one would have thought he could love her, love anyone. Now he is living the lie that he never truly loved her. Did Severus Snape ever love? 

**~~*~~**

**_She stands alone in a place where no-one knows her name_**

**_She catches them staring, they turn round and finish the frame_**

There she is, the girl that desires him. Standing in the middle of the street, looking awfully strange. Dressed in long flowing clothes and a black cloak, even in London that looks strange. Standing in the middle of an unfamiliar street looking into a café, not terribly clean from the outside, aptly named 'Hole in the Wall.' There she sees him sitting alone, as usual. 

This girl turned woman, the reason he is being eaten by his memories. She had reduced him from the strong, confident and intelligent man into of a broken man. He had been strong. Strong when it was just him that he needs. When he worked as a spy to overthrow the dark lord. He had been alone but content with it and took pride in that fact.

She doesn't look special. Brown hair that was so frizzy it looked back combed. A small face that looked tired. Her eyes were dull and there were dark shadows under them. She was far too skinny from not eating. You should have seen her before. Not beautiful but pretty, a certain something about her. He eyes used to sparkle and she had, not the perfect figure, but it looked a lot more healthy than the skeletal form she was now.

I saw her when she had so much going for her. Good friend, love and intelligence. She could have had the world at her feet, but all she ever want was him. she fell apart when her left.

**_And she's nursing her head and her pride_**

She wants to walk in and hug him and tell him that she does want him. She wants to eliminate any thoughts of her promises not being real. But she can't. She can't run back to him, begging him to love her. Hermione Granger didn't beg for anything. She was a Gryffindor! Gryffindor pride was something that stopped her from throwing herself into his arms, no matter how much longed to do that. She leans against the wall of the café and sinks to the ground, her head in her hands, trying to make some sense of the thoughts in her head. 

She had always had had this pride. Couldn't do anything to get rid of it. I think it was her weakness. Pride is a weakness, she would have said stupidity but then you can't see your own weaknesses can you? 

**_She died long ago deep down inside_**

Yes she still had her stupid pride, but that was about all. This woman, so smart and yet so incredibly stupid. She let the one thing that would have helped both of them get through the tough times. She had thrown love away. He had pushed her away and she had let him, she hadn't stood up for what she knew was right. 

When he left she just broke down and cried for days and when she couldn't cry anymore she sat in a stupor, not really sinking in what had happened. That was when she really went to the dogs. She tried to fill in the space he had left, she slept with whoever would take her. She stopped eating and drank whenever she found it. 

**_Who is going to save her, cos no-one wants to know her_**

Ever since she had left school she lived alone. Her parents killed, Harry away all the time and Ron in St Mungo's after going insane. She pretty much kept to herself, so much so that now she has become as much of a recluse and pessimist as Severus has. If she wants anything done she will have to do it herself, no one is going to help her.

She used to have a lot of friends. She wasn't picky about who she talked to, inter house rivalry seemed stupid to her. She used to speak to almost everyone, student or staff. But they weren't real friends, mere acquaintances. And now they don't want to know her. 

**_He sits alone and looks up to the eyes of an angel_**

**_She catches him staring and smiles the smile of an angel_**

She walks in and stands by his table hoping he'll see her. He does, looking up he can see her, smiling. Like a vision before him, some sort of angel of mercy. Smiling like the morning dawn and lighting his darkest thoughts. 

He saw his redemption. She was back, next to him. she was so close he could touch her. He dearly wants to take her in his arms and never let her go. He just sits there looking at her, making sure he wasn't hallucinating. 

She sees him looking at her. She miles, tears falling from her eyes. She was back with him and he wanted her as much as she him.

**_And she asks him if this chair is free_**

**_He says "Yes, would you sit here with me?"_**

"Is this chair free?" she asks watching his expression change from depression to redemption.

"Yes, will you sit here with me?" he asked in sheer desperation. 

She sits down next to him, tears forming in her eyes as he embraces her. He holds her so close to him, never want to let her go. But no matter how close he holds her its never close enough. He always wants to be that bit closer to her. Sobbing into his shoulder and hair she holds him as tightly as she can. Feeling safe and wanted. 

"I've missed you so much! I felt empty without you." She sobbed. 

The rest of the café is watching them, a strange couple. By no means were either of them beautiful but they were perfect for each other. They can each other something no one else can. 

And for those moments their lives come down to this, the other one. All that matters is that the other is here and holding them. They don't care that the rest of the café is staring or that they have knocked a cup of coffee over and its dripping on to floor. Even the years of pain and hardness without the other are forgotten, because now they can make up fro lost time. 

**_No-one would have saved them, we should all learn from them_**

They were what the other needed. The comfort of the other, the love and trust. As I said neither were beautiful in the normal sense, but they had a connection. 

They saved themselves, no one else would have helped them. After all isn't there as saying that we are in charge of our own destiny? Or the other extreme that your life is pre planned. Either way this was going to happen. they were meant to be together.

**_We all have a saviour, so do yourself a favour_**

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So they have found redemption and now they can live their lives together. This does by no means mean they will be happy, far from it, they have their problems to get through but they will have someone there that loves them and in the end I know that's all they need.

Now they don't need to pretend they can live on their own and that they only need themselves now they can…

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**_Stop living the lie_**

**AN: Please review I want to know what you think of this as I tried a new writing style, the third person narrator, very much obliged.**


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